FIRST READ · MON 7 AM ETTHE WEEKEND LEXICON · SAT 9 AM ETMingyu
- Stage name
- Mingyu
- Birth name
- Kim Min Gyu
- Born
- April 6, 1997
- Hometown
- Anyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
- Position
- Lead rapper, visual and face of the group (Hip-Hop Team)
- Agency
- PLEDIS
- Fandom
- CARAT
- Debut
- 2015
- Generation
- 3rd gen
Mingyu is a member of the 13-piece group SEVENTEEN, which debuted under Pledis Entertainment in May 2015. He sits in the group's Hip-Hop Team and is described as its lead rapper and a visual. Beyond the full group, he has worked in smaller pairings, including a collaboration with Wonwoo and Lee Hi and, in 2025, the duo CxM with S.Coups. In mid-2026 he told fans at the Carat Land fan meeting that the group's "second chapter" would begin when they return after military service, which he is expected to start in the coming months.
Where they grew up
Page 1 lists Mingyu's birthplace and hometown as Anyang in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, and notes a younger sister named Kim Minseo. The same page puts his time as a trainee at about four years before the May 2015 debut. Mingyu has said that the 13 members once shared one small home when they were younger, and that they fought a lot at that stage. Over the years of living together, he says, he learned to let things go and to respect other people's decisions. The pages do not describe what first drew him to music, so that part of his story is left out here.
Birth details: nolae.eu
In their own words
“Even though I achieved my dream, I want to keep my spark shining.”
“I might wander if I were alone, but the members are my life spark,”
“S.Coups and I are alike in that we both want to share our tastes in a straightforward and natural way.”
“When we return in two to three years, I think that's when our second chapter will truly begin,”
Timeline
- 2015Debut with SEVENTEEN
- 2021Bittersweet with Wonwoo and Lee Hi
Released the collaboration "Bittersweet" with Wonwoo and Lee Hi, part of the group's Power of Love project, and said that working in a smaller pairing gave more creative freedom.
- 2021Your Choice mini album
SEVENTEEN returned with their eighth mini album Your Choice and the title track "Ready To Love". The group then self-quarantined as COVID-19 close contacts.
- 2025CxM and HYPE VIBES
Debuted the CxM unit with S.Coups on Sept. 29, 2025 with the mini album HYPE VIBES.
- 2026Carat Land and pre-enlistment farewell
Took part in the 10th Carat Land fan meeting, one of the group's last major full-group events before more members enlist.
Latest
- Group hiatus and second chapter promise
Coverage of the Carat Land fan meeting framed the coming multi-year break as a transition rather than an ending. Mingyu said the group's second chapter would begin on its return.
respawn.outlookindia.com - Carat Land fan meeting farewell before military servicekoreaherald.com
- CxM unit with S.Coups, mini album HYPE VIBESbillboard.com
Our coverage
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SEVENTEEN's Dino Drops 'AUTOMATIC' With a Performance Film and a Writing Credit
The single arrived Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. KST, which was 4 a.m. ET, with the performance film already up on the group's TikTok.
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The new title track scored 8,299 points on MBC's show, on a bill that also featured IVE, BABYMONSTER, NMIXX and SEVENTEEN's JxJ.
A2O LITE Beats NCT WISH For Third 'NEON' Trophy As IVE, JxJ Unveil New Stages
The debut track topped episode 950 with 6,866 points, while SEVENTEEN's JxJ, IVE and NMIXX gave new songs their first public performances.
SEVENTEEN's JxJ Moves 656,011 Copies of 'DREAMSCAPE' on Day One for a Hanteo Unit Record
Jeonghan and Joshua's debut mini album topped charts in Japan and China and reached No. 1 on iTunes Top Albums in at least six regions.
K-pop in 2026 and New York Punk Circa 1980: Fan Economies, Opposite Blueprints
Zines and bulk buying both show fans moving the music, but punk built labels to dodge the majors while K-pop's biggest rivals are joining forces.
- nolae.eu: Mingyu (SEVENTEEN) Profile
- billboard.com: SEVENTEEN's S.Coups x Mingyu Talk 'HYPE VIBES' Mini ...
- koreaherald.com: Seventeen says goodbye for now, promises return within 3 years
- nme.com: Mingyu on SEVENTEEN's bond: “When I'm with them, it's ...
- rollingstone.com: Seventeen's S.Coups and Mingyu Talk Debut Mini Album
- respawn.outlookindia.com: Seventeen Promises a Bigger Comeback After Hiatus | Outlook Respawn
- kbizoom.com: SEVENTEEN Profile: A-List Group Dominating the Global Stage with Unstoppable Success (2025 Updated)
- nme.com: SEVENTEEN's Mingyu says 'Bittersweet' let him explore his ...
- billboard.com: SEVENTEEN's DINO to Debut as Solo Alter Ego Picheolin With Mini Album
Last researched Nov. 11, 2026